Latest news

ISHR's second edition of the Human Rights Monitor Quartery (June 2010), provides an overview of the  five-year review of the Peacebuilding Commission. It includes the d'esired outcomes' of the review which were prepared by the three co-facilitators that were appointed by the President of the General Assembly to undertake the review (Ireland, Mexico, South Africa).

Latest news

ISHR's second edition of the Human Rights Monitor Quartery (June 2010), provides an overview of the  five-year review of the Peacebuilding Commission. It includes the d'esired outcomes' of the review which were prepared by the three co-facilitators that were appointed by the President of the General Assembly to undertake the review (Ireland, Mexico, South Africa).

The co-facilitators presented their report entitled “Review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture”, in July 2010.

The Security Council and General Assembly considered the report on the five-year review and each adopted resolutions on 29 October 2010. The UN News Centre also issued a press release.

For meetings of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) this month at United Nations (UN) headquarters, see the calendar on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission website.

For this month's latest PBC news, see PBC Update, a NGO-run website tracking PBC developments at UN headquarters and in the field.

Background

The PBC was set up by the Security Council and General Assembly in 2005 as an inter-governmental advisory body that focuses on the transition of States from conflict to sustainable and lasting peace.   

The  main purposes of the PBC are:

• To bring together all relevant actors to marshal resources and to advise on and propose integrated strategies for post-conflict peacebuilding and recovery

• To focus attention on the reconstruction and institution-building efforts necessary for recovery from conflict and to support the development of integrated strategies in order to lay the foundation for sustainable development

• To provide recommendations and information to improve the coordination of all relevant actors within and outside the United Nations, develop best practices, help to ensure predictable financing for early recovery activities, and to extend the period of attention given by the international community to post-conflict recovery

It is not an operational body and does not have an enforcement mechanism. It will not undertake peacebuilding activities itself. Rather, its aim is to produce advice for the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and engage all actors involved in the peacebuilding process, including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The PBC intends to bring together the UN's different experiences, as well as the actors involved in a particular peacebuilding process to devise comprehensive strategies aimed at achieving sustainable peace and development. Its main focus is therefore on 'improving coordination and reducing duplication' among actors involved in a post-conflict country, including governments, civil society, external development actors, donor countries, and international financial institutions.

Further reading

• ISHR's report on human rights developments in the Peacebuilding Commission in 2008: Human rights emerges as key element in the PBC's work, but concrete results are spotty across countries. In this report, the PBC's mandate, its position within the UN system, and its key outputs are reviewed in the light of the human rights dimensions of its work. This review looks at developments in 2008, although it will also refer to some key documents drafted by the PBC in 2007 when necessary.  Successes and challenges are highlighted, in particular those that relate to civil society and human rights defenders.

  The PBC update website provides updates about PBC meetings, what's happening in the countries on the PBC's agenda and how civil society is making a difference

• The Peacebuilding Initiative website shares knowledge within the peacebuilding policy community and supports information management efforts within the United Nations and the peacebuilding community at large

• The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission website provides comprehensive  information on the UN peacebuilding architecture

• ISHR's Guide to the Peacebuilding Commission, available in French and English